Beyond pandemic, reimagining Italy's Catholic clergy: Per the Vatican, there's a European average of 65 seminarians per million baptized Catholics. But amid this decline in clergy, which was significant prior to the pandemic, the young men studying to become priests see an opportunity to reimagine their roles in order to meet the needs of the faithful.
Instead of a 'return to normal,' let's pursue a profound transformation: In her commentary, Elise D. García writes, "The Irish use the word 'cocooning' to refer to their mandated sheltering in place. In nature, a profound metamorphosis takes place in a cocoon — a meltdown that transforms the caterpillar into a butterfly. Our species is called to no less profound a transformation at this singular moment in the arc of human history."
What is ecological sin? At the Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, participants discussed the concept of "ecological sin," and the synod's final document provided a defintion for the term. EarthBeat's latest Burning Question breaks down what exactly "ecological sin" means, what it looks like, and what else you need to know.
In defying shutdown, Minnesota bishops surrender to the culture warriors: Michael Sean Winters calls for someone to explain to St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda "that religious exercise in his state is not threatened by a Democratic governor but by a nonpartisan virus."
My 'death box' has both practical and spiritual purpose: During the coronavirus shutdown, Fr. Peter Daly has been working on home projects, including a plastic file box with all the papers and files that he will need as he nears death, or that others will need after he dies. "Death may seem remote, just like pandemics may seem remote, but eventually it comes," he writes. "So we might as well be ready."
NCR returned to Facebook Live to discuss the 2020 election season. If you missed the event or want a rewatch, watch the video here.
Readers weigh in: Your thoughts on conservative Catholics, women deacons, sharing Eucharist and more.
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